Your pediatrician will determine whether your child has Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) using guidelines developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics

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Ages

These diagnosis guidelines are for children 6 to 21 years of age

It is difficult to diagnosis AD/HD in children 5 years of age and younger

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Tests for AD/HD

There is no single test for AD/HD

The process requires several steps and involves getting a lot of information from multiple sources:

~ Parents

~ Your child

~ Child’s school

~ Other caregivers

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To confirm a diagnosis of AD/HD these behaviors must:

Occur in more than one setting, such as home, school, and social situations

Be more severe than in other children the same age

Start before the child reaches 7 years of age

Continue for more than 6 months

Make it difficult to function at school, at home, and in social situations

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Additionally

In addition to looking at your child’s behavior, your pediatrician will do a physical examination.A full medical examination is needed to put your child’s behavior in context and screen for other conditions that may affect your child’s behavior

As a parent, you will provide crucial information about your child’s behavior and how it affects your child’s home life and in other social settings

News

Welcome back to another school year.I hope your summer was relaxing and invigorating and you are looking forward to the approaching school year and the opportunity to stimulate and challenge your students’ minds.

This summer I was able to study Sir Ken Robinson, a British author, speaker and international advisor on education to governments, non-profits, and education organizations

I, like many people, find his writings and Ted Talks not only witty and inspiring but also thought-provoking and challenging.Much of his work deals with the diversity of intelligence, the power of imagination and creativity, and the importance of commitment to our own capabilities.He posits that the noticeable lack of them in our schools negatively affect students’ learning and teachers’ productivity and the absence of them is triggered by the demands of standardized testing.

I hope you find Sir Ken Robinson’s words inspiriting and challenging as I do and be mindful of them as you plan for the new year. Here is to a great 2017-2018 school year!